How TikTok Became the #1 Hurricane Milton “News” Channel, for Better or for Worse

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At a time when we As we write these lines, Hurricane Milton has already caused heavy damage in Florida, killing at least 11 people and leaving three million residents without power. This extreme weather event has also generated a lot of reaction online, including on TikTok.

In a fascinating article, our colleague Katie Notopoulos from Business Insider has just returned to the 'embarrassing experience she had while following this moment live on the Chinese platform.

The bonus for provocation ?

At first glance, the journalist thinks that there is potential on this social network. Residents, who can be described as “citizen journalists”, can indeed broadcast their livestreams of the hurricane and we can follow all this from the other side of the planet.

But she quickly realizes that it is not possible to precisely locate these images. Were they filmed on the direct trajectory of Milton or elsewhere in Florida?? It is also impossible to know if they were pre-recorded and if some people are not taking advantage of the opportunity to make easy clicks.

Another issue her article noted: the algorithm tends to amplify certain controversial figures. For example, a user who posted a series of videos earlier this week showing off her massive home.

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She says she won’t be leaving the property despite the authorities’ orders, stating: “My husband built this house for commercial purposes… it’s a residential home, but it’s built to commercial quality. It’s solid concrete.” Since then, she’s become “the bad guy.” of TikTok and the often very critical comments poured in.

These excesses are clearly not the prerogative of TikTok. At the same time, on the livestreaming service Kick, abominable scenes occurred. A man tried to ride out the storm on an air mattress in exchange for $70,000 promised by streamer Adin Ross who had just interviewed Donald Trump. The latter finally gave up and the influencer gave him $10,000 as a thank you.

In any case, our colleague believes that TikTok is not really designed to broadcast live information in “breaking news” mode. However, a change to the algorithm could prove effective and transform the platform into a much more interesting space for these special occasions.

TikTok, a source of information for young people

As a reminder, according to a survey conducted in the United States in 2023, 74% of members of Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) prefer TikTok to Google when looking for information.

Respondents to this survey cited in particular the video format (69%) which appeals to them more on the Chinese platform or the fact that the answers to their queries are more relevant (65%), notably thanks to the social network's personalized algorithm (47%). To learn more about this, don't hesitate to reread our article here.

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